Four arrested over London Cumberland Hotel hammer attack

Police have arrested four people in relation to an attack on three female tourists from the United Arab Emirates at a London hotel.

Police said officers executed three warrants at addresses in Islington on Tuesday evening.

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Three men aged 32, 34 and 56 were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

A 31-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

Police confirmed Wednesday morning that all four remain in custody at north London police stations.

The three Emirati women were visiting London, along with three children aged between seven and 12 years, when they were attacked by a hammer in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Cumberland Hotel.

The women suffered serious head injuries.

Police said one victim remained in a critical condition. The two other victims remain in hospital, but neither is believed to have life-threatening injuries.

Detective Superintendent Carl Mehta of Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC) said Tuesday that it was an exceptionally unusual and rare incident and that police believed the motive for this attack to be theft.

“We also understand hotel room security was not breached and the door to the family’s room was unlocked at the time of the incident.

"We are working closely with the family and the hotel to explore this further,” he said.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said it was closely following the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Rashid Al Dhahiri, director of citizens affairs at the MoFA, said that authorities were following up the incident in conjunction with the UAE Embassy in London to establish causes of the attack, the WAM news agency said.

He added the authorities are also following up the health conditions of three sisters in hospital.